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A union official says after four months of bargaining, they have made some gains at the table in terms of wage increases, but contract workers need a pathway to permanent employment.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the workers include nonstudent sessional lecturers, writing instructors and music professionals. (Nakita Krucker / Toronto Star)

By The Canadian Press

Thu., Nov. 23, 2017

Contract academic workers at the University of Toronto have given their union a 91 per cent mandate in favour of strike action as they work towards a new contract.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the workers include nonstudent sessional lecturers, writing instructors and music professionals.

CUPE says the key issue is how post-secondary institutions relay on “precarious labour,” with sessional lecturers at the university delivering more than 20 per cent of all undergraduate teaching, yet earn less and have little to no job security.

Union official Jess Taylor says after four months of bargaining, they have made some gains at the table in terms of wage increases, but contract workers need a pathway to permanent employment.

The two sides are scheduled to resume bargaining on Friday and Taylor says the union hopes the strike mandate message is “well received” by university negotiators.

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“Many of our members have been working at the University of Toronto for decades,” said CUPE 3902n chairperson Pamela Arancibia in a statement.

“The minimum per-course salary for sessional lecturers is less than $15,000, whereas faculty members earn at least $23,000 for teaching the same courses.”

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